Assam: Illegal sand mining menace along Pahumara river in Bajali district

A CORRESPONDENT

BAJALI: Illegal sand mining continues unabated in the Doloigaon area along the Pahumara river in Bajali district, raising serious concern among authorized mining stakeholders. Members of the DSR and EC-approved mining committee of Bajali have alleged that unauthorized sand extraction in the area is severely hampering their lawful mining operations.

According to the committee, illegal miners are extracting sand without obtaining mandatory permissions, causing significant financial losses to operators holding valid District Survey Report (DSR) approvals and Environmental Clearance (EC). The committee stated that despite strictly adhering to all legal procedures and environmental norms, their business activities were being adversely affected due to the unchecked continuation of illegal sand mining.

Expressing grave concern, a member of the DSR and EC-approved mining committee said, "We pay government taxes and forest royalties as per rules. However, some sand miners are continuously hampering our business by illegally cutting land near the river. We request the concerned authorities to look into this matter at the earliest."

The committee has appealed to the district administration and the Forest Department to immediately intervene and take strict action against those involved in illegal sand mining. They further urged the authorities to strengthen monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to safeguard lawful mining operations and prevent environmental degradation in the district.

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